Demar Dorsey Transfers to Hawai’i, Gets Shot at Redemption

Five star recruit Demar Dorsey is taking a detour across the Pacific Ocean to get his football career back on track.

Many of the prominent players on the recruiting scene pursued Dorsey out of Fort Lauderdale’s Boyd H. Anderson High: USC, Florida State, Florida (where he was once verbally committed) and Michigan (where he signed, but failed to academically qualify). His inability to enroll at Michigan was the latest in a list of problems plaguing Dorsey, who was arrested for three separate felony charges.

With the shine of recruiting stars faded and a shadowy past behind him, Dorsey is bound for a place where the sun glows brighter and others have found redemption: the University of Hawai’i.

Dorsey is immediately eligible pending NCAA waiver, with three years allotted him per junior college transfer rules. Dorsey spent the 2011 season at Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College, where he returned his one interception 51 yards, deflected five passes and broke up four, and made two tackles for loss. He should find an immediate place starting at safety for a Warrior secondary that was No. 85 against the pass a season ago.

UH has provided refuge for others seeking a fresh start, most notably 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan. Brennan prepped at Southern California quarterback factory Mater Dei, then signed at Colorado. He never got an opportunity to make an impact for the Buffaloes, leaving the university after a 2004 arrest for trespassing and burglary.

Brennan made good on the opportunity UH afforded him, flourishing in June Jones’ offense to lead the Warriors to 23 wins in two seasons, a pair of top 25 finishes, and a Sugar Bowl appearance. Brennan became arguably the greatest player in UH history.

Hawai’i is an ideal spot for a player like Dorsey, as Brennan proved. While beloved on the islands, UH football exists out of the mainland’s consciousness. The same principle that oftentimes applies to FCS transfers proves true at UH, that a player can simply function better without the spotlight of 24/7 scrutiny.